I Pivoted from Investment Banking to Big Tech. I Only Miss One Thing.

This is-told-tos Essay is bassed on a conversation with Dana Schoolsky, A 24-YEAR-OLD WORKING IN MONTINATION AND OPERATIONS AT TIKTOK IN NEW YORK CITY. Its been edited for Length and Clarity.

Cre i workhed in investment banking as an analyst, everything felt urgent, as if a fire alarm was going off at all time.

I felt on edge eda after leaving the office, never knowing when i might be called to do more work, which took a toll on me. I knew it wasn’t the right job for with nearly instantly, but i stayed for two years i looked for a better opportunity.

SINCE QUITTING IN JULY TO WORK AT TIKTOK, My LIFE LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT AND I’M STILLNING TO BREAK ABITS I BUILT IN IB.

I Prefer Working In Big Tech, Though there were positting aspects to working in investment banking.

No Two Days Were the Same in Investment Banking

I Studied Business at the University of Michigan, and it’s very commmonic to go into investment banking, so deciding to go in that directing. I was very interesting in the broader scope of what Bankers will.

I hit the desk as an investment banking analyst immediately after graduating from College in July 2023. It felt comfortable to land in Such a structure environment after gradual, and I feel as thugh. Responsibility.

During periods when i was working on a live deal, my days were busiest, full of back-to-back Meeings with Clients, Coworkers, Senior Bankers, and More. Days Working on Non-Live Work Waled Be Spent in PowerPoint and Excel, Working on A Deck, Including Its Financial Modeling and Analysis.

There were were tight deadlines, and Everyiting Felt High-Priority,

My Mornings As an Investment Banker Were Sacred, and My Nights Were Unredictable

I Waled Wake Up Every Morning at 6:30 am to go to the Gym Becauses it was the only time of day i’d be able to commmit an hour to mySelf checking my phone. That time was sacred for me.

THEN I’D HEAD TO THE OFFICE, WHERE I’D STAY INTO The Evening, Eve Orthing Dinner to Eat with Coworkers. There are no Windows where I SAT, SO I OFTEN LOST TRACK OF TIME OF DAY AT WORK. I’d typically leave the office between 6:30 and 9 pm, though i can have more work at any point in the night. It was an unwritten rule that this work should be shoud be done before morning.

Some nights, i was so woried about an assignment popping up that i’d set alarms to go off every 90 minutes so that wouldn’t miss. The unpredictability put me on Edge and tok a toll on my sleep and mental health.

It also made it difficult to commmit to plans, eves as small as drinks with a friend.

The sense of urgency at tiktok is mess than at my investment banking Job

I start my roles at tiktok in july. I WORK ON THE MONTIZATION STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS Team Covering a Key Global Account, which Basically Means I’M FOCUED ON How Tiktok Revenue from the Account I’m on. I Work From About 9 AM to 6 Pm Three Days a Week in the Office and Two Days at home, which is a split i’m loving.

Everything in this role is new for me, so i’m hating to learn new things and face challenges i’ve never before. IT’S BEEN DIFFICULT, LIKE ANYTHING NEW, But ITH’S ALSO Exciting.

People AROUND WITH ARE BUSY AND WORKING HARD, JUST LIKE IN INVESTMENT BANKING, But the overgaming sense of urgells lives. I Notice People Might Put Work Down to Go to the Gym or Take a Real Lunch Break. Everyone has work to do, but there seem to be looser expectations on how it gets done.

I Feel More Trusted to Get My Work Done with Heavy Monitoring at My Big Tech Job

In banking, i was so used to have to tell my boss every doing. Not only only did i say how I was speaking every work, but also how I was spending nights and weeends. Its been a hard habit to break.

In my new job, i’m not always sura we are things are urgent. My boss mightmings with something at 2 am if that’s we can and happens to be working, but that doesn’t mean he Expects with work at that time. It will JUST TIME TO UNDERSTANT THE WORKFLOW AND ADAPT TO THE WORK CULTURE.

Making Friends Was Easier at My Investment Banking Job, But i’m Enjoying Big Tech More

The Only Thing I Miss About Investment Banking is the People. Being in a cohort of People Around My Age Made It SO EASY to Build Friendships. We all just spent so much time together and bonded over inside jokes about company lore and our shared experience at this demanding jab. I still text my core-banking friends nearly every day.

At tiktok, i’ve been so busy trying to learn as much as a parsible that it is ben harder for meet People. I Love Having Work Friends, But My Work is Very Independent and Doesn’t Have a Structured Way to Meet People.

I were to a recent offsite and introdied myself to as many people as postible, so i feed like to a good start.

I regret not looking ino more caraer options in College

As for now, i’m Enjoying Working with Really Smart People and Just Enjoying My Life a Bit More. My mental health has significantly improked. I’m Not Constantly Anxious About Work and Wondering If My Plass Are Going to Be Canceled As A Result of It.

If i if i can done anything differently, i would’ve exposed mySelf to more caareer possession while in underestand what else is there. I’m thankful for ending up in banking Because it tought with about what i want out of work and life, but if you’re a college student on the investment banking path, you are not limited.

There’s always a conversation to be haad with someone in another industry or a Different Company to Learn what’s out there.

Do you have a story to share about pivoting into or out of Big Tech? If so, please reach out to the reporter at [email protected].